Improvement in the manufactu



eHAnLnsf GEARING, or rrrrsnune, AssIeNon or no Un-Erenrns nrs" RIGHT ro` Geenen M, IRWIN, enAs. wAnrEns, AND NANCY MinnilGAN, or SAME PLAGE, AND SIMON B. ROW, or 4emnAnrrELn, PA.

thi THE MAUFCTUREOF ILLUINATING-GAS.

Speciication forming part of Letters Pat-ent No. lilhd, dated June 24,1873 application ii1ed June 20, 1873. y I l 4 To allwhom it may concern:

Y Be'itknown that I, CHARLES GEARING, ot` Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and' useful Improvements in the Manufactureof Illuminating-Gas; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference' being -had to the accompanying drawings and to the let- -ters of reference'marked thereon making a vi 4'part of this specification.

f YThe. nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a machine *for generating illuminating-'gaa as will. be

hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others 'skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will' 'now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings,`in ,which- Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a front view; Fig.` 3, atransverse vertical section, and 'Fign 4 a rear elevation, of my entire machine..

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the steam air-injector, and. Figo isa longitudinal section of. the la st retort through which the gas passes on its way to the gas-holder.

A, represents a furnace of any suitable di-` mansions and construction, in which are lo` cated a series of retorts, as follows: Nearest to the re' are two large retorts',-Band within which are smaller retorts C C'. These latter retorts are smaller in diameter, but extend the entire leugththrough and beyond v the outside retorts B B'. Above these retorts B B' are three other retorts, D D' and E, ar-

run'gedas shown in Fig. 3,' Outside of the furnace upon suitable supports are still two more retorts, G G', and lall. of said retorts are connected by pipes, as hereinafter described.

lThe retorts C C', DD', Gf and G', are all iilled with pebblesv of various sizes, andthe retort is provided with aseries'ofv transve perforated partitions, o a, as shown in Fig. o. H representsapipe provided mth a stop-cock,-

7, and connecting with a boiler'to convey steam to a steam andair injector-,3, au en.-

"larged section of which is' shown in Fig. !5. Withiuthis injectortube is the usual taper` tube with tapering screwfplug to' regulate. the flow of the steam, and bysuction draw. the air in `through pipes'I'I, 'and foreethe the space betweensaid retort and the'retort 1' C. The rear end of the retort B' at the top is in like manner connected with the rear end of the retort B at 4the bottom by a pipe, d2.

The steam and air injected` by the injector J is tbus'caused'topass through the tortuous ypipe', retorts D D' and retorts B"B becoming. thoroughly dried and superheated, the pebbles inthefretorts 1)' D retarding its flow to insure this object.- f l From the front end of the retort B,- at the V top, Vthe now thorpughlydried and super- V heated steam and air pass through a tortulons pipe, L, to the rear end of the retort G,

Intliis pipe L it'comes in contact with andvaporizes oil -or other suitable hydrocarbon f liquid, which passes into saidpipe from au elevated. tank through a tube, j, in a steady stream or jet, the ,size of which is regulated by means of a'stopcock, b2.

By the steam and air and vaporized oil pass#k ingthrough the pipe L and. the retorts Gr G',

the front ends ot said retorts being connected. by a pipe, da, they are' eonvertedinto a permarient orxed illuminating-gas even without A further manipulation; but to makeit more perfect the gas is passed from the rear end of the retort G', through a pipe, d4, to the rear end of the retort @through this retort and a pipe, d5, to thev front end of the retort Cl. .Then th ori-gh this retort and through a pipe,

d, .to 4the rear end of the 'retort E; and from the front end of this retort'it is, by a pipe, M, ,conveyed to' the gasfholder. It willbe seen that the hre-heat does not latter is very small. lexpansion and contraction I lprovidea lead retort, and without injury to 'strike or come incontact with the gas-retorts C C', but that these retorts are heated exclusively by the steam and air surrounding them. y.This eiectually prevents the residuum from' ,burning-into the retort; and practical and selvere tests have vdemonstrated the total absence --of any residuum in the retorts, the only (leiposit being sandy or such substances as are aljmost invariably foundin a greater or less quantity in ,all hydrocarbon oils.

' When the gas-holder. is full a stop-cock, b3,

4 in the pipe M is closed, as wellas the cocks Iin the steam and oil pi-pes. Any gas remain# a pipe, h,

e is -a waste-pipe to carry In the double ret-Orts the exterior retort B being close to the fire and the interior retort f G entirely away from it, the former will expand considerably, while the expansion of the To allow of this unequal seal, m, at the end of the exterior retort around the interior retort` as shown p in Fig. 2. By

3 this means the oatsideretort isallowed to expand and contract independent/1'y of the inner l either, 'and`- at the same time forms a perfect ,f steamand air 'tight joint.

It will ble-seen thatall the; pipes through which the gas passes after itl-leaves the outside carbonizing-retorts G Gp', are larger than those through which the steam and air alone pass. The object of this is to accommodate the expansion which takes place as soon as thehydrocarbon liquid is vaporized and the gas formed.

In the injector` J, at the mouth of the taperlin'g tube, is a pipe, n, the inner end of which is bowl or cup shaped, the sides being convex,

- so las to bring the air' gradually into the tube and form` no offsets or receptacles where..the air can collect and exert Va repelling force.

This construction` gives the injector suicient force to overcome all the expansion previous to the format-ion of the gas in the outside eari bonizing-'retorts G G; and afterthe gas is formed the increase in the size ofthe pipes,

as above mentioned, compensates for the additional expansion.

.Various materials have heretofore been used in retorts for gas-machines; but I have found by experience that pebbles are preferable for many reasons. They do not pnlverize, like, for instance, brick and charcoal; they absorb the' moisture and retain the heat better; and dry the steam, air, and gas in a perfectly thorough manner, so that there is no perceptible condensation.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new,'and desire to secure by f Letters Patent, is

l. In a gas-machine, where steam-andair are carbonized'by-coming in contact with hydrocarbon liquids, drying and superheating saidA steam-'and air by passing it through a series of pipes and 'letorts before the hydrocarbon liquid is admitted, as and for the purposes herein set forth. 2. In a .gas-machine, one 'or more retorts lle'd with pebbles, for the purposes herein set forth.

3. In a gas-machine passing thegas through va retort -lled with pebbles and placed within 'an exterior retort, the space between the two retorts being filled with steam and air, as and for the purposes herein set forth.

'4. The: combination in the furnace A of the retorts B B with interiorl retor'ts C Cf filled with pebbles, the retorts'D D also lled with pebbles, and the retort E with transverse perforated partitions ay a, all substantially as and for the purposes hereinset forth.

'45. -Tbe outside. carbonizing rctorts G G', filled with pebbles, 'as and for the purposes herein set forth.

6. The injector .T provided with the cup or bowl n, and used in combination with the steam-pipe H and air-pipes I I, each having a stoplcoclc,as and for the purposes herein set forth.V I

In testimony-*that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of'4 CHARLES GEARING.

Wi sses: i

- L. Evitar, A. N. MARR. 

